Fountain pen guard



K. w. MCPHERSCN 2,213,543

FOUNTAN PEN GUARD Oct. 22, l 940.

Filed Aug. 1S, 1959 Ze/z 21243 6K Jenneh W.' Wop/M150@ Patented Oct. 22,`194() UNITED stares 'rarer Fries 2,218,543 y FOUNTAIN PEN GUARD Kennethvv. McPherson, Palmyra, N. Y. Application August 16, 1939, Serial No.`2l0f153 s claims. l(ci. 12e- 50) e Y This invention relates to iimprovements in l guards for writing pens, `but it is moreparticularlyintended for use in conjunction with fountain pens. The facts thatfountain pens regularly serve their intended purpose fairly well, andthat some-.types can be bought very cheaply, have diverted the attentionof the `average user from a realization that this instrument of writingis still i subject to improvement.

Such faults as a failure to startfpromptly when touching the nib to thepaper prelirninarily` to Writing, the eventual` changing cf the `shadeof,

the inl: when writing, the letting down of a drop or drops of ink whenthe supply runs. low and similar occurrences are so common that personsusing fountain pens accept said faults as. inherent to the normaloperation. This, however, need not be true because it has. been foundthat the addition of a simple guard will keep the'nib moist so that thepen will start promptly, will stabilize the flow of the ink so as toavoid shad.- ing in the writing, and` will conserve the last drops of anearly depleted supply so that writing can be continued until thepenruns dry and' this without letting down the last drops to make blots onthe paper.

With this preamble in mind the objects of the invention are as follow:

First, to provide a guard which is an improvement on the guard disclosedin the copending` application for a patent on a penguard filed byKennethW. McPherson; December 1, 1937,` Serial No. 177,623, a'particularpurpose being to emphasize the use of the guard vupon the feed-barof afountain Vpen and avoiding its attachment to the nib asis one of thecharacteristics of said application; Second, to employ a guard in theforegoing manner for the accomplishment of more uniform writing bybringing the ink in a ."suitable, wet 4state nearer to the tip of thenib.

Third, to provide a fountain'pen guard which is attachable solely to thefeed-bar, said guard including a fairly expansive nether wall incovering relationship to most of the feed-bar but spaced therefrom toform both with the Vfeed-bar andra part of the nib, a reservoir toinsureeasy start` ing in writing and an ink reserve inthe event of the feedbarotlierwieebeing virtually dry.` y

, Fourth, to provide a fountain pen guard which is ln'iurled orrcughened on the inside, particularly in the region of the tip of thefeed-bar,.for the purpose of accommodating the ink vfluidjandfacilitating its flow. i f

Fifth, to provide a guard which is especially adapted to thecomparatively recent type of fountain pen feed bar of comb formation,the numerous incuttings of which make it desirable to safeguard againstpremature and excessive drying of the ink fluid.

Other objects and advantages will appear in a the followingspecification, reference'being had to 4the accompanying drawing, in'which:

Figure l is a side elevation of a portionof a fountainpen, illustratingthe addition of the irnproved guard.

Figure 2 is an inverted plan view mainly of the nib, particularlyshowing the attachment of the guardto the feed-bar.

igure 3 is a plan view mainlyof the pointv end of the fountain pen, thenib having been removed to better illustrate the relationship of theguard `to the 'feedbar.

Figure fi is a' central longitudinal section illustrating the guard inthe saine relationship to the, feeddcar as shown in Fig. l. 2

Figure 5` is a side elevation similar to Fig. 1, but showing the guardextended for increasing the flow ofink. l i

Figure `6 is a `perspective View of the guard.

Figure 7 is across section taken on the line l-lf of Fig. 1.`

Figure 8 is across -of Fig. l.

Figure 9 is a cross section taken onthe line e-e of Fig. 1. t

l'ligure l0 isa plan View of the guard.

Figure il `is a detail View of the feed-bar, particularly illustratingthe roughened point.v

The fountain pen lv comprises any ordinary construction in that it has abarrel 2, a feed-bar 3 and a nib li. The feed-.bar is herein shown assection taken on the line -of `the more or less prevailing comb type.This `terni is, derived from the ridged side construction 5 which isintended to distribute the ink to the` lateral ridges of the nib.`

Feeding of the ink to said nib is primarily accomplished by'an inkchannel t (Fig. 3) whichv extends longitudinally of the feed-bar on itstop surface and all the way back to the end of the cylindrical stem l,of which the feed-bar is a r part, and which serves the additionalpurpose of wedging the nib in the ordinary bore 8 yat the front of thebarrel. While the comb type feedbar 3 facilitates the flow of ink in themanner stated, vit carries with it the disadvantage of eX- posingmuch'more of the ink than in fountain pens having other types offeed-bars that a drying of the ink issornething that has to be takeninto account.

Reference is now made to the'guard 9 (Fig. 6), 55

which constitutes the main improvement. This guard consists of a shellof thin material. The nature of the latter is subject to such a wideVariation that a listing of all the kinds of material would beinexpedient, it being regarded as sufficient to state that it maycomprise Celluloid, thin metal or any one of suitable plasticcompositions. Moreover, the guard 9 is capable of being flinished in anyone of the colors to match that of the barrel, or it may be made inimitation of gold so as to match the nib itself.

This guard possesses a degree of flexibility. This quality would beinherent in virtually lany material of which the guard is intended to bemade. Ilt has a fairly expansive nether wall I herein also referred toas a bott-om. This nether wall is broader .than the feed-bar 3 is wide(Figs. 2, 3 Land 8) and desirably soin orderto define ink channels I I(Fig. 8) especially in .the corners between the guard and .the edges I2of .the feedbar.

The excess broadness .of the .bottom l0 when compared with the width ofthe feed-bar 3 comes about by reason of the pitched or slantingrel-ationship of the flanges .to .the bottom I. 'Ilhese flanges aredirected inwardly .of the guard when read in reference to the bottom, orare flared when read in reference to t-he feed-bar to which they yareslidably but frictionally attached.

The sides I4 vof .the guard 9, as well as the flanges I3, aresubstantially parallel for a part of the distance of .the guard as iswell seen in Fig. 10. But at the places I5 (Fig. l0) where the guardapproximately .coincides with the shoulders I6 of the nib 4 (Fig. 2)both the nether wall or bottom I0 andthe flanges I3 converge -to a bluntpoint I'I. This point is rounded both from the plan aspect (Fig. l0) andin longitudinal section (Fig. 4). rIlhe result is the cup-shape I8.which pl-ays a large part in conserving the ink, especial'ly .the lastdrops of a. nearly depleted supply.

Depressed places I9 are formed longitudinally of the feed-bar 3 (Figs. 8and 9). These places can be identified as grooves, but they are quiteshallow because there is no necessity .of deepening them more thansuggested in the drawing. The so-called grooves enable sliding .theflanges I3 inlto position between the feed-bar 3 and the overhangingparts ofthe nib 4 (Fig. 8). However, dependence is not put upon the nibfor .the hold- .ing of .the guard because this is a function solely forthe sides of the feed-bar and the flanges of the guard.

Said flanges are deeper between .their edges and the pla-ces of mergenceof the flanges with the nether wall I0 of .the guard than the distancebetween the depressed places or grooves I9 and the-nether side of .thefeed-bar 3. The result of this comparison is that when the guard isslipped into place its nether wall will stand off from the bottom of thefeed-bar, dening an ink space 20 which comprises the reservoir ofconsiderable ink. It is readily seen that the latter is immediately.accessible to the point of the nib 4, serving to keep the latter moistas long as the guard contains Iany ink at all.

The secretion of ink as well as its flow, is facilitated by coarselyroughening .the interior `of the cup-shape I8 as denoted at 2I (Figs. 4,6, 7 and 10). This effect is intended to be augmented by similarlyroughening the extremity of the feed-'bar as at 22 (Figs. 4, '7 and 1l).The principle is that the ink will enter the crevices of the rougheningand flow therealong .to the surfaces in the lconcavity of the nib, .thus.to reach the customary slit to much better advantage than if theroughened surfaces were left smooth, as is Ithe custom. The bottom ofthe bar may be left smooth so that if the guai'd is lost temporarilyt-he pen will still be usable.

Adjustments -of the guard :are made by simply sliding it along thefeed-bar. The previously mentioned inherent resilience of .the guard istranslated into an inward tension of :the flanges I3 so that theseexercise a sufficiently firm grip on :the feed-bar in the depressedplaces I9 to insure the retention of the guard in whatever adjustment(within limits) it may be set at. To these ends the guard 9 has aringer-.piece 23 on the bottom, adapted to be engaged by the fingers forproducing the required sliding. A stop 24 on the feed-bar 3 limits thesliding in the inward direction (Fig. 4) and when the guard 9 assumesthe position representative of that direction of sliding, its cup-shapeI8 is near-est the extremity of the feed-bar. The supply of ink to theslit in the nib is :then reduced and the result is light writing.

On the other hand, when .the gua-rd 9 is adjusted outwardly (Fi-g. 5)and the supply of ink brought nearer the writing tip, a more copiousamount of ink is exposed to the nib slit, resulting i-n heavier writingbecause of .the more .abundant flow. The latter function is also aidedlby a slight difference in the pit-ching of :the guard, and feedby .thelight-ly drawn extension lines 25, 28 (Fig.

4). It will be seen that these lines -are at the left, cross at 2l andagain Hare at the right. This makes it plain that there is a forwardlydiverging relationship lof .the two bottoms. The ink space 2t becomeslarger although very slightly so, as it approaches the cup-shape I8.This arrangemen-t is valuable from the standpoint .that the ink isintended to be supplied to the point of the nirb whence it is used, andless quantities are secreted toward the inner end of Vthe -guard wherethe escape .of the fluid is sought to be prevented.

A nal consideration ycomprises the addition of a small air vent 28 atone side of the pen guard (Fig. l). This vent is optional .and iscapable of emplacement in the most desirable location and notnecessarily exactly in the position shown. Its purpose is to prevent air(blocking, and its presence in the guard is another contribution to befitted upon a feed-bar which has a superb imposed nib, said memberhaving a nether wall to cover most of the exposed surface of saidfeedbar, said member including forwardly situated top edges adapted tomeet the underside of the nib point to establish completeside closurescontiguously to the points of the feed bar and nib, and including acup-shaped terminal between said points to form with the nib an inkreservoir.

2. In a fountain pen, a feed-bar having depressed places in the lateralportions thereof contiguously 'to the nether side of a superimposed nib,and a guard covering most of the exposed surface of said feed-bar, saidguard having inwardly directed portions set in said depressed places.

3. In a fountain pen, a feed-bar having depressed places extendinglongitudinally thereof contiguously to the nether side of a superimposednib, and a guard covering most of the exposed surface of said feed-bar,said guard havhto :ilA

EIO

ing inwardly directed flanges slidably but `fric tionally fitting saiddepressed places.

4. In a fountain pen, a feed-bar having grooves extending longitudinallyof the lateraly sides thereof, `and a guard covering most ofthe exposedsurface of` said feed-bar, said guard having inwardly directed flangesIslidably but frictionally fitting said grooves, said guard including alpointed nether wall with the point of which said flanges merge. l

5. In a fountain pen, a feed-bar having grooves extending longitudinallyof i the lateral `sides thereof, and a guard covering most of theexposed su-rface of said feed-bar, said guard hav-,

ing inwardly directed flanges slidably but frictionally fitting saidgrooves,y said guard including a pointed nether wall fwith the point ofwhich` said flanges merge, said point defining a cupf` shaped projectionwhencorrelated to the adj-` jacent extremity ofthe feed-bar, and saidcupshaped projectionbeing internally roughened to increase the secretionand flow of vfiuid ink.

A6. In a fountain pen, a feed-bar having 1`lateral grooves extendinglongitudinally thereof and having a roughening on its4 exposedextremity, and a guardcarried by said feed-bar, said Aguard havinglateral, inwardly directed flanges slidably but frictionally fitted insaid grooves, said guard including a nether wall from which said flangesextend, said anges being in flaring relationship to the feed-bar andthus `affording an expanse of nether wall broader than the feed-bar,said nether wall, and flanges converging to a blunt `point adjacent tothefree extremity of the feed-bar and defining a cup-shaped' inkreservoir `in respect thereto, said reservoir being internally roughenedto match said extremity.

'7. In Ia fountain pen, a feed-bar having 1at` eral :grooves ext-endinglongitudinally thereof, a pointed broad-bottomed guard carried by the`feedbar, said guard having lateral fianges which are deeper betweentheir edgesand rtheir places of mergence with the guard than the`distance be` Vtween the grooves and. nether side of the` feedbarthus tospace the guard .bottom from the feed-bar and define an` ink space. 1

8. In a fountain pen, a feed-bar having de- `pressed places along thelongitudinal sides, a

guard having a bottom in confronting relationship `to the bottom of thefeed bar, and flanges included-in the guard extending from the bottomand being in frictional engagement with the de'- pressed places, saidflanges supporting the bottom in spaced and in forwardly divergingrelationship r tothe bottom ofthe feed-bar, thusto progresi sivelyincrease the size ofan ink space between the guard and feed-bar.

` KENNETH W. MCPHERSON.

